Former Blue Jay Jose Canseco denies sexual assault allegation

Las Vegas police investigating alleged incident

Jose Canseco, seen at a 2012 game in Los Angeles, tweeted about the fact he is under investigation. Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press (Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press )

Former baseball slugger Jose Canseco denied a woman's claim that he sexually assaulted her, calling the allegations in Nevada "laughable" before playing in an independent league game in Texas on Thursday.

The 48-year-old former rookie of the year with the Oakland A's said he was prepared to take a polygraph test. His comments before a United League game with the Fort Worth Cats came a day after Las Vegas police said they were investigating a complaint.

Police said Wednesday there have been no arrests, and no charges have been filed. They didn't return a message Thursday.

"It's almost laughable for an individual to say I raped them and drugged them at the same time," Canseco said. "My ex-wives, my ex-girlfriends will testify on my behalf that the way the media portrayed me and the way they're trying to portray me here, it's not even close to being the truth. Let's wait for the truth."

Word about the investigation became public after Canseco posted information about it on the social media network Twitter. He said Las Vegas police had just left his house.

The postings — including the name and workplace of a woman — generated an immediate outcry from others who posted comments deriding Canseco.

The Associated Press does not normally identify possible victims of sexual assault.

Canseco said he didn't regret the Twitter posts, some of which were removed.

"I think those fans are entitled to the truth," he said. "I think the police are entitled to the truth. If you have nothing to hide, why hide it?"

Canseco hit 462 career home runs and was a six-time All-Star in a 16-year career that included seven major league teams. Besides the A's, he played for Texas, Toronto, Tampa Bay, the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.

His book, "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big," was published in 2005, four years after his major league career ended.

He declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy last year in Las Vegas, reporting less than $21,000 in assets and almost $1.7 million in liabilities, including more than $500,000 owed to the Internal Revenue Service. He listed a post office box as his address.

In recent years, Canseco played for various teams in California, Arizona, Mexico and Canada. He is scheduled to play the first eight games for the Fort Worth franchise, all at home.

Unless he stays longer, Canseco will make less than $1,000, a prorated amount. The league's veteran minimum is $2,000 per month. His agent, Jose Melendez, says he isn't getting an appearance fee.